In a motor vehicle operated using an internal combustion engine, heat is introduced into an engine compartment of the motor vehicle by the internal combustion engine and an exhaust gas system. To dissipate this heat, an airflow permeates the engine compartment during a movement of the motor vehicle. If the airflow is not sufficient for dissipating the thermal energy introduced by the internal combustion engine and the exhaust gas system because of an excessively low vehicle speed, the dissipation of the thermal energy is assisted by an engine compartment fan. Overall, components in the engine compartment are to be prevented from being damaged as a result of excessively high heat input.
Engine compartment fans are typically not configured for high numbers of operating hours over their service life. However, based on a conventional two-point regulation for operating the engine compartment fan, it may not be ensured that the number of operating hours guaranteed by the producer is not exceeded.